In the middle of the night Alice meets her accomplice-dog-stealing-hero. He helps her out of a tight spot just when she needs it. She gets away with the dog that time but finds herself in danger of losing her entire family of dogs less than 12 hours later. For Alice, her dog rescue centre in Ringtrees is more than just a job - it's her passion and purpose, and it's her home. So, when Tom Blake arrives with plans to bulldoze her sanctuary to make way for new development, she's not about to let him destroy everything she's worked so hard for. More especially, she is devastated at the thought of her mother's sanctuary, the dog-den, with its towering trees and little memorials, being razed to the ground. Alice and Tom find themselves drawn to each other in ways they never anticipated, but they know there can be no future for them. Apart from any other consideration, Alice is engaged to Harry.